Container.



T. L. SMITH.

Patented Mar. 15, 1916.

THEODORE L. SMITH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 12, 1909. Serial No. 495,521.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THEODORE L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of IVayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Container, of which the following is a specification.

This construction relates to structures of openwork metal, especially to containers for measuring and storing articles of comparative bulk, such as vegetables, coal, or waste paper, and the object of this invention is to provide a structure which can be cheaply constructed and which shall have great strength.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a basket constructed so as to embody my present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Figs. 3, ll and 5 are details of construction.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The basket shown in the drawings which may be taken as an example of construction, is formed of ribs and a circumferentially and spirally wound wire. The ribs of liat narrow ribbons l of metal, preferably mild steel, may be formed by passing them through rollers or through dies to give them the form shown in Fig. 3. The loops 2 are then inclined as shown in Fig. 4 and the strips may be placed on a proper mandrel or other form and bent to the desired conformation. 'Ihe inner ends are then bent around a ring 3 formed at one end of a length of wire il, and the wire is then wound spirally around in the loops 2 until the structure of the desired size and shape is produced. The loops 2 are then bent against the strips l as shown in Fig. 5, and the outer ends of the strips 1 are bent around the final rings of the wire. Central plates 6 may be secured by rings 7 at the middle of the bottom of the container if desired. Vhile a mandrel or other form is desirable in the manufacture of structures of this type, they are not absolutely necessary, as the rings can be laid up by hand. After the structure is complete, it may be dipped into a bath of the proper metal and all parts thereby soldered or brazed together. Woven wire structures of various sizes and forms can be made in this manner, and of any desired cross section. The longitudinal ribs or bands will always Ahold the circumferential wires parallel to each other and properly spaced, while the wires, in turn, will take the greater stresses.

Having now explained this construction, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is zV l. A container comprising a series of flat longitudinal imperforate metal members crimped to form inwardly extending loops, and circumferential wire members wound around the flat members and lying in the loops of the same, the loops being closed by bending the same up against the main portions of the flat metal members, the ends of the strips being bent around terminal rings of the wire, and sheet metal plates secured at the center of the bottom of the container.

2. A hollow metal structure formed of a circumferentially wound metal wire and imperforate flat metal strips at substantially right angles to the wire at the points of contact, the strips being bent inward and then outward to form loops to receive the wire, the loops being bent down to hold the wire in position.

8. A container formed of spirally wound metal wireand flat metal strips at substantially right angles to the wire at the points of contact, the ends of the strips being connected to terminal rings of the wire, the wire being positioned by loops formed in the strips by the entire strips being bent back and then forward again.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEOD ORE L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

C. B. HARRISON, A. L. ERNST.

Patented Mal. 15, 1910. 

